Jeweller - May 2021

All Things Bright and Beautiful | COLOURED GEMSTONE FEATURE
L to R: Van Cleef & Arpels brooch; Bulgari necklace Sicis ring L to R: Jewellery Theatre brooch; Chopard necklace; Frédéric Mané earrings
policy. This is really driving people to start demanding that
their gemstones, just like their coffee and their cotton, have
been sourced in a responsible manner.”
He adds, “The plight of artisanal miners in developing
nations did receive much more publicity due to the impact
of COVID-19 on these communities, which has thankfully
inspired more consumers to ask the question of how their
gemstones were sourced and helped increase the demand
for responsibly-sourced coloured gemstones.”
At Colonial Gemstones, emeralds are sourced directly from
the Muzo, Coscuez, Chivor, and Gachala Mines.
Says Carvajal, “Colonial Gemstones is involved in every
stage of the emerald’s life, from the moment it is extracted
from the mine. Our emeralds are cut, polished, and graded
in Colombia and then again at their final destination
country, if necessary.
“Our customers can have confidence knowing that Colonial
Gemstones is involved every step of the way, ensuring that
the final product is completely authentic and delivered with
care and professionalism.”
Kovacs observes that locally-sourced gemstones have
been given an edge, as their provenance can be more easily
traced: “Consumers are increasingly conscious of ethical
supply chains and I believe that is driving the demand for
Australian gemstones across the board,” she says.
The vast majority of the world’s coloured gemstones are
mined artisanally, in contrast to the large-scale, regulated
mining that dominates the diamond market. This can
present challenges when it comes to ensuring an ethical
supply chain – or even a traceable one.
“Our industry was struggling [with transparency] because
the supply chain is very long, fragmented and complex,” Dr
Daniel Nyfeler, managing director Gübelin Gem Lab, told
CNA Luxury late last year.
As a gemstone-rich country – from which tanzanite, ruby,
sapphire, garnet and tourmaline, among others, are
sourced – Tanzania has become a focus for transparency
Having been in the gemstone
business for more than 50 years,
we have a number of long-standing
suppliers overseas... We can’t travel
internationally to select goods in
person because of COVID-19, so we
are very fortunate to have a strong
buying network that we can trust.”
Katherine Kovacs
K&K Export Import
The plight of artisanal miners in
developing nations did receive much
more publicity due to the impact of
COVID-19 on these communities,
which has thankfully inspired more
consumers to ask the question of
how their gemstones were sourced.”
Charles Lawson
Lawson Gems
Today, three out of five jewellery
brands we speak with are asking to
know the provenance of gemstones
and to learn more about the story
behind them.”
Victoria Favoroso
GemCloud
initiatives; it is estimated that approximately 1 million
people are employed in its artisanal mining sector.
The Moyo Gems project was established in 2019 between
international development organisation Pact, suppliers
Anza Gems and Nineteen48, and the Tanzania Women
Miners Association (TAWOMA).
“We call Moyo Gems a responsible sourcing initiative,”
Cristina Villegas, Pact’s director of mines to markets,
explained in a recent webinar. “What we’ve done is
establish traceability down to the miner and the broker.”
Participation in the Moyo Gems project involves four
components for miners: membership to one of six preselected
villages, completion of Gemological Institute of
America (GIA) training – which can be provided by Moyo
Gems – membership of TAWOMA, which is open to both
men and women, and finally, proof of work at a licenced
mine, or written permission to mine the concession of a
licence-holder with Tanzania’s Ministry of Mines.
High-quality gemstones are then selected and sold to
Anza Gems and Nineteen48 at regulated Market Days
within Tanzania; the project claims miners receive more
than triple the value per gemstone selling through Moyo
than they would have at a village or regional city market.
Technology of traceability
The increasing emphasis on sustainable and secure
sourcing has also led to an influx of technologybased
solutions.
“In 2017, we launched Provenance Proof to enable more
transparency to the entire gemstone and jewellery trade,”
Raphael Gübelin explains.
It comprises a range of technological services, including
the Emerald Paternity Test and the Provenance Proof
blockchain platform.
According to Gübelin, it is the first free blockchain platform
for coloured gemstones, open to the entire gemstone and
jewellery industry: “Our overall aim is to offer a broad
and comprehensive range of information that allows the
buyer to make a conscious purchasing decision based on
reliable data from a trustworthy source,” he says.
The Emerald Paternity Test involves applying
nanoparticle ‘labels’ directly to emerald rough at the
mine, allowing the material to be traced even after
cleaning, cutting and polishing.
The blockchain platform was developed with technology
startup Everledger, which also pioneered blockchain
solutions for the diamond sector.
“Responsible sourcing for Gemfields
means implementing industry-leading
policies and practices across operations,
transparency in our auction sales process,
[and] an active role in working groups to
modernise the sector ”
JACK CUNNINGHAM
Gemfields
Leanne Kemp, CEO Everledger, added, “[The blockchain
platform] allows consumers to take pride in that the
gemstone in their necklace comes from a certain part of,
say, Zambia or Tanzania, safe in the knowledge that the
person who mined it was properly compensated.
“As a more ethical and sustainable capitalism rises
to the very top of the agenda among Millennials and
Gen Z, transparency is surely becoming a commercial
imperative.”
Dr Nyfeler added, “Jewellers embrace these
transparency technologies because it gives them a rich
source of data for their storytelling.”
Gemfields has adopted the Provenance Proof Blockchain,
in addition to a number of other initiatives and policies.
Jack Cunningham, Gemfields’ director of sustainability,
John Dyer
Chris Wolfsberg
Naomi Sarna
policy, and risk, says, “Our goal is to operate in a way
that contributes positively to national economies, takes
a leading role in modernising the coloured gemstone
sector and builds lasting livelihoods for the communities
around our mines.
He adds, “Responsible sourcing for Gemfields means
implementing industry-leading policies and practices
across operations, transparency in our auction sales
process, an active role in working groups to modernise
the sector, projects to improve health, education and
livelihoods for the communities around our mines
and conservation efforts [for] Africa’s wildlife and
biodiversity.”
Further up the supply chain, online B2B gemstone
trading platform Gemolith recently introduced a
traceability section to specifically cater to the desire for
transparently-sourced material, with Greenland Ruby as
its first featured producer.
Victoria Favoroso, CEO of Gemolith’s parent company
GemCloud, said in a statement, “Today, three out of five
jewellery brands we speak with are asking to know the
provenance of gemstones and to learn more about the
story behind them.”
In April 2021, another online gemstone trading
platform, Gembridge – which touts itself as a ‘strictly
regulated global digital platform for the transparent
trade of colored gemstones, pearls, and jewellery’
– was launched.
The business allows verified members to ‘buy, sell
and consign, using a secure and insured door-to-door
service’. Based in Singapore, it is compliant with that
country’s strict Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-
Money Laundering (AML) regulations.
Indeed, while it will always be the captivating colour that
draws consumers to coloured gemstones, provenance
and supply chain transparency offer another selling point
for jewellers, providing a compelling story of origin as
well as appealing to the desire for ethical products.
47 | May 2021
May 2021 | 48